From the cobblestone streets of Paris to the sun-drenched plazas of Rome, the new season of Emily in Paris is trading its signature frantic polish for a glow that’s a little more messy and a lot more authentic. While the vistas remain opulent, the real magic this season lies in the deepening evolution of its leading ladies, Lily Collins and Ashley Park. From Emily’s surprising move to swap her sky-high stilettos for sensible flats to Mindy’s high-octane musical risks, the duo is proving that true chicness comes from confidence, not just couture.

For five seasons, Emily Cooper has navigated the highs and lows of Paris with high-energy ambition and even higher heels. But as the show enters its newest chapter, Collins and Park reveal that growth, both personal and stylistic, is the defining theme of the season.

In season five, which just dropped on Netflix, Emily is no longer the wide-eyed American trying to stay “perfect” at all costs. This season, she is embracing a version of herself that is more grounded and less stressed. She is finally trading her stilettos for flats during her commute and carrying her heels to work.

“I just want to say that was my idea,” Collins shares regarding the change in footwear. “I found that to be very relatable, and something that Emily would have learned from watching other people and her co-workers and from her own experiences.”

This physical comfort reflects a deeper internal shift. Collins notes: “I think there is something more relaxed about Emily. She takes her jacket off and ties it around her waist… she would have, like, stayed perfect all the time [in Season 1]. And I think that there’s something more relaxed, confident, chic, elegant, messy, all the things that I think we all are in our normal lives… she’s not afraid to show it, and I think that makes her more endearing.”

Ashley Park added that Collins is a “very intentional actor,” ensuring that “that kind of thought goes into every single part of the costumes of Emily.”

While Emily is finding her footing, Mindy Chen is pushing herself to new heights. Park admitted that this season’s musical numbers were some of her most daunting yet. “I got to do a lot of things that I was actually very scared to do this season,” Park says, citing performances that involved “tangoing or dancing in a particular kind of outfit, on a moving float with water spouting everywhere, or being on a speed boat and singing, or being in a martini glass and dancing.”

Beyond the spectacle, the role of Mindy has sparked a real-life creative fire for Park. “I really loved singing Ruins. I think that any lyric that kind of lends itself to the story and what’s happening in her heart and soul really fulfills me as an artist as Ashley,” she said. “I will say Mindy also inspired me. I just released a single that I haven’t really talked about, but it’s called My Own and I released this song, and I think that in finding what my voice as Ashley is through Mindy, I had a little bit more of a passion and confidence to write my own music.”

In the high-octane world of Emily in Paris, the costumes are often the loudest characters on screen. But this season, a vintage Fendi bag passed down from Emily’s grandmother hints at a deeper, more sentimental layer of the show’s fashion. For Collins, her grandmother’s elegance is preserved through tangible memories she keeps tucked away like hidden treasures. She revealed she keeps her grandmother’s original ballet shoes, a nod to her grandmother’s life as a dancer. And much like her character, she cherishes her grandmother’s purses, noting, “I actually do have bags of hers, purses that I’ve kept perfectly in cloth… just because she was so elegant to me.”

Park’s relationship with family heirlooms carries a more bittersweet weight. After losing prize jewels that had been passed down from her grandmother to her mother and then to her, she has learned to find comfort in the pieces she has left and the new ones she’s collected along the way.

“Every time we wrap a season, Lily always gets me the most thoughtful gift, usually from a vintage place, when wherever we’re filming and I carry those around with me,” she said.

She keeps these vintage finds in a small jewellery box that she carries everywhere, turning Lily’s gifts into modern heirlooms of their own. It’s a beautiful reflection of their off-screen bond.

The show is also reflective of the bond between Emily and Mindy, a relationship that mirrors the actresses’ real-life connection. From vintage gift exchanges to supporting each other through major life milestones, their friendship has grown alongside their characters.

Collins recalled a core memory from filming this season: “I brought my daughter to set and I was holding her while Ashley and I were running lines together. Like now six years and five seasons later, I’m a mom. She’s here. We’re going over our lines. We’re living our life. Like, what?!”

For Park, the most meaningful memories aren’t the opulent sets, but the moments between takes. “I think core memories for me are like the night before we started filming for the first time, and even just as far as yesterday morning on the train together, we have these moments that feel very genuine to Emily and Mindy, of just having a heart to heart with a skincare mask on, or just being in our robes and trying to craft an email or a message or a text, or try to figure out everything that’s going on in our real lives. I think those are big core memories for me.”

Emily in Paris Season 5 is now streaming on Netflix.

Feature image courtesy of Netflix.